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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.17.16

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 17: Śūrpaṇakhā attacks Sītā. The brothers’ teasing turns to danger, Rāma orders her disfigurement, Lakṣmaṇa cuts off her ears and nose and she flees

In the sequence: she again tells Rāma she will eat Sītā to remove her rival, then rushes at her

3.17.16

adyemāṃ bhakṣayiṣyāmi paśyatas tava mānuṣīm
tvayā saha cariṣyāmi niḥsapatnā yathāsukham

Today I shall devour this human woman before your very eyes; then, rid of my rival, I shall roam with you at my pleasure.”

Words: adyemāṃ — today this; bhakṣayiṣyāmi — I shall devour; paśyatas tava — as you look on; mānuṣīm — the human woman; tvayā saha — with you; cariṣyāmi — I shall roam; niḥsapatnā — rid of a rival; yathāsukham — at my pleasure, at ease

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.